An asteroid heading towards Earth is set to have an unusual fate: instead of smashing through our planet’s atmosphere, it’s likely to become trapped in orbit and become a mini-moon. It will be a swift visit,

PT5 will orbit Earth briefly from September 29 to November 25, 2024, acting as a mini moon. It was discovered in August 2024 and will travel in a semi-orbit around Earth before returning to its sun-centered orbit.

Though the mini-moon will only be in Earth’s orbit for about two months, it’ll stay close to the planet for a few months, making its closest approach in January 2025, after which it’s expected to make a return to the planet’s orbit in 2055, according to the study.